CHSR Condemns Criminalisation of Protests, Demands Probe of Owode Killings, Calls for Removal of Lagos CP

 

The Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR) has strongly condemned what it described as the criminalisation of peaceful protest and victims of illegal demolitions across Lagos State, accusing the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Moshood Jimoh, of attempting to divide affected communities and deflect attention from alleged human rights abuses.

Speaking at a press conference held on Monday, CHSR faulted the conduct of the police following protests by communities affected by demolitions and forced evictions, particularly at the Owode Onirin Motor Spare Parts Market. 

The organisation described as “deeply troubling” the treatment of citizens who peacefully protested against demolitions, economic displacement, and alleged killings linked to enforcement operations.

CHSR, a non-governmental organisation committed to the defence and promotion of fundamental human and socio-economic rights in Nigeria, said it was compelled to speak out in the interest of justice and accountability. The group stated that silence in the face of injustice would amount to complicity.

According to CHSR, thousands of demolition victims across Lagos State recently mobilised to protest alleged illegal demolitions, forced evictions, and the killing of six young men at Owode Onirin on August 27, 2025, as well as other deaths reportedly recorded in affected communities during demolition exercises.

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These six Owode Onirin youths were not statistics,” the organisation said.

 “They were sons and breadwinners whose lives were cut short in circumstances that raise serious questions about the conduct of state actors, alleged land grabbers, armed thugs, and compromised security operatives.”

The group rejected claims attributed to CP Moshood Jimoh that some protesters were “rented crowds” or not from affected communities, describing such assertions as false, reckless, and dangerous. CHSR insisted that its involvement with Owode Onirin predated the recent protests and was based on a formal request for intervention by the Owode Onirin Spare Parts Association in March 2025, following early signs of encroachment and demolition.

CHSR disclosed that since receiving the request, it had organised peaceful rallies, held press conferences, and submitted petitions to several authorities, including the Lagos State House of Assembly, the Lagos State Government, the Office of the Governor, the National Assembly, the Presidency, and the National Human Rights Commission.

The organisation also criticised a press briefing convened by CP Jimoh at the Owode market on January 30, 2026, alleging that the police chief selectively praised some protesters as “law-abiding” while portraying others negatively

. CHSR described the move as a “divide-and-rule strategy” that undermines the neutrality and professionalism of the police.

“The role of the police is to protect citizens, not to propagate falsehoods or weaken lawful civic coalitions,” CHSR said, warning that intimidation and propaganda by law enforcement could erode public trust and threaten social stability.

CHSR issued a list of demands, including an immediate public retraction of what it called misleading statements by the Commissioner of Police, an independent investigation into the killings of the six Owode traders and other victims across the state, and the prosecution of all those found culpable.

The organisation also called for an end to police interference in lawful protests, justice and compensation for all affected communities, and the immediate removal of CP Moshood Jimoh as Lagos State Commissioner of Police, citing alleged intolerance and lack of leadership restraint.

Reaffirming its stance, CHSR declared that it remains “

unapologetically pro-people, pro-justice, and pro-truth,” vowing to continue standing with the Owode Onirin traders and other communities affected by demolitions across Lagos State.